New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown was left frustrated with the officiating after his side’s 115-111 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, though he was quick to acknowledge the visitors deserved the win.
His main concern came with what he saw as a significant free-throw imbalance in the second half.
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“I never thought I’d be in the NBA Finals and see a team get 24 free-throw attempts in the second half to another team’s eight,” he told reporters.
“Now I don’t think I complain much about officials or the fairness when it comes to the free-throw attempts. San Antonio is a great team. They’re a great team. It’s going to lower our odds big time if we play Game 4 and in the second half they get 24 free-throw attempts to our eight. And maybe we were fouling. Maybe we were fouling, but they fouled too.
“… There were opportunities for fouls to be called to at least try to even the free throws out. Now, we didn’t play good. San Antonio played great. We could have played better, there were a lot of things that we could have done that we did in Game 1 and Game 2. But to get 24 free throws in the second half? … All the shots we took, we got fouled four times, roughly, for eight free-throw attempts? … That’s tough to overcome when you’re playing a great team.”
While Brown pointed to the second-half disparity, the final free-throw count finished 32 attempts for the Spurs compared to 22 for the Knicks.
There was also a clear sense the Spurs’ urgency played a role in the shift. Facing a 2-0 series deficit, San Antonio made a concerted effort to attack the paint, feeding Victor Wembanyama in the lane while also putting pressure on the rim through Stephon Castle.
New York struggled to contain that combination without giving up contact, which likely contributed to the difference at the free-throw line.
Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns was more measured in his assessment, opting not to focus on the officials and instead pointing to his team’s own errors.
It is not the first time Brown has raised concerns during the series, although his tone was very different after Game 1.
Following that win, he revealed assistant coach Rick Brunson had helped settle the group.
“We were all bitching too much at the officials. Rick Brunson was great,” Brown said.
“He told me to shut the hell up and he told the rest of the team to be quiet and leave the officials alone. It was great of him because we were all kind of losing our minds.”
Despite the frustration, the Spurs’ performance was the story of the night. Wembanyama led the way with 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists on 11-of-18 shooting, adding three blocks and two steals at the other end.
He was supported by 23 points, five rebounds and five assists from Castle, while De’Aaron Fox delivered a key late shot alongside eight assists, as San Antonio finally responded after dropping the first two games.
Even so, Brown’s post-game comments ensure the officiating will remain a talking point heading into Game 4 on Thursday.